"Improper" Vote.

The Carthage City Council voted 7-3 Tuesday evening to allow CW&EP to increase wastewater rates. The typical residential user will see their waste water cost increase from $7.68 to $14.66. CW&EP proposed the increase to fund the refurbishing of wastewater lines.

Council member Ronnie Wells was the only member to speak out against the increase. He told the Council that he thought the increase was too much. Well, Diane Sharits, and Don Stearnes voted against.

Council member Bill Johnson said that any opposition to the increase should have been stressed at earlier meetings of the Budget/Ways and Means Committee. He said he felt that voting against it now "improper".

City Administrator Tom Short reported that the Double Decker Red Bus is now officially out for bid. He said a minimum bid of $3,000 is required and that several have expressed interest.

During the Mayor’s report, Mayor Kenneth Johnson reported that while on a recent trip for City business he did not use the City credit card to purchase groceries and received a good laugh from the crowd.

I see where the evenin’ paper has bought a buildin’ out on Central and they’re movin’ out of the buildin’ on Main after bein’ their for fifty-some years.

After thirteen years we’ve moved locations four times (countin’ movin’ the operation off the kitchen table back in ‘92). Havin’ bought the buildin’ we are currently in at 330 Lyon, I’m guessin’ it’ll be a while ‘fore we shuffle again.

‘Course we boast of bein’ the only newspaper printed in Carthage, and of havin’ the same owner for longer than any other daily paper in Jasper County.

And we still have the same reporter we started with, and the same editor, and the same sells rep. Mainly cause they’re all the same person, the proprietor. We do get help from time to time, but we like continuity.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Metcalf Auto Supply

Click & Clack
TALK CARS

By Tom and Ray Magliozzi

Dear Tom and Ray:

Here’s a question I call "dueling grandmas": My wife’s mother has given us a ‘92 Toyota Camry sedan with 55,000 miles on it. My mother has given us a ‘95 Volvo 850 Sedan with 54,000 miles on it. We have to sell one of them to buy a Subaru Outback, because we need all-wheel drive where we live. It’s very complex. We don’t want to offend a grandmother AND make the wrong choice. I always assumed the Volvo was the better car, but it had lousy visibility (the headrests take up the whole rear window!) and drives a bit like a truck. What should we do? — Marc

TOM: Well, they’re both good cars, Marc. And they both should have many miles left on them. But the first thing to do is have both of them carefully inspected by your mechanic, to see if any major components on either car are in danger of failing soon.

RAY: Those inspections might make your decision a lot easier. But if both cars are in equally good condition, I think I’d keep the Camry.

TOM: Me, too. And the reason is repair costs. At 54,000 miles, the Volvo is going to need quite a bit of mechanical attention during the next 50,000 miles — starting, most likely, with one of Volvo’s famous $800 timing belts. We often have to revive customers after they see those bills. The Camry, by comparison, should give you relatively little trouble.

RAY: So the issue is, how do you break it to your mother, Marc? Here’s what I’d do. I’d call Secretary of State Colin Powell and see if he’s available to handle the negotiations. If he can’t do it, then draft a letter to the grandmas telling them both how grateful you are for their generosity.